Otōto — Restaurant in Appleton

I've been here several times already. I've throughly enjoyed the atmosphere whether every seat is full, or it is quiet and slow. Great atmosphere for socializing with new faces. Especially when you choose to dine at the counter instead of a table.

This ramen is authentic and reminds me of my time at a Somen noodle place I visited years ago. So the nostalgia is part of the charm for me.

Personally I'm not a fan of bowl 91, so if you want a more robust ramen, this is your ticket.

You pay for the quality though. But a huge bowl of soup certainly is a full meal in and of itself. Don't get me started on the temptation of other side dishes, etc. Go in super hungry. You're gonna need the space in your tummy!

Staff is friendly, if a bit soft spoken. Sometimes a bit more discussion on what a customer wants/means when they say something could help avoid miscommunication regarding special requests. I suppose, I too, will try to be more clear in my meaning.

(ie. I asked for extra noodles each time I came. First two times it came out as expected, noodles in with the rest of my ramen... but the third time, the extra noodles came out in a separate bowl with no broth or anything on them. And since they hadn't been soaking in the broth already, adding them ended up turning the taste of my broth very sour. But I'm not one to fuss about and make more work for them. So I'll simply convey my meaning better next time.)

Aside from that everything has been wonderful.

It was about time we got some hearty ramen around here. None of this thin broth stuff. Just robust flavor...

First time eating here, and I always look forward to enjoying a good bowl of ramen. I've been to Japan twice, for a combined total of 4 months.

Food (Classic Tonkotsu) I ordered the the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen and my first taste is always the ramen broth. I liked how it wasn't super salty from the initial bite, because by the time I finished the bowl, I wasn't overwhelmed by salt. (+5) The noodles were thin, in which I prefer a thicker noodle, but it was still good. Texture was great, no too soft or too hard. Pork was a thicker cut and was charred grilled. I didn't like the thick cut, because it was a lot to chew along with the noodles. If they cut the pork half the width, it would be perfect. The charred parts of the pork gave a bitter taste with the ramen noodle, which I didn't like the contrasting taste. The texture was great which was soft to bite through in one go. Bamboo shoots has a strong salty taste. First time I ever had bamboo shoots with ramen. I would pass on adding the bamboo shoots next time.

Overall Experience: I liked dining right up at the counter with the cooks. It reminded me of when I ate at the ramen stands/restaurants in Japan. I would go again to try the other ramen to see how they are...

I really wanted to love this place, a small but focused menu and the pictures look great but it's not hitting the mark for me.

First, the service and atmosphere are top notch. Very nice aesthetics, someone knows their stuff. The karaage is tasty and the seasonings on the mayo were beautiful.

When I received my bowl the first note that hit my nose was the funky bamboo shoots, not a warm and welcoming tonkotsu broth. I love bamboo shoots but the kind used here are a little gross and the smell is awful, I feel like they were chosen for their wild look over what they contribute in flavor. The chashu at first bite was phenomenal with it's charring then further bites in it was grisly with unrendered fat. The egg yolk had solid formations though the center remained slightly runny, almost there..Then the star of the show, the broth, it had a slightly smokey but also partially burned taste to it, not a light tanned milky broth, it just doesn't compare to most of the tonkotsu offerings I've had elsewhere in many different States.

Now, the worst part, the thai lemon iced tea. That has to be the same tea used in Thai iced tea, the kind you serve with milk, but you mix it with lemonade? I wasn't a fan of that flavor...